1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to copying computer data and more particularly relates to the automatic selection of a copy function for use in copying data from an application storage device to a secondary storage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As financial, scientific, medical, and other critical data are being integrated with computers and computer networks, reliability and availability of the data is increasingly important. Early computer systems relied on backup copies of data on media such as tape storage. Creating backup copies was time consuming and created downtime in applications. Recovery from system failures made computer systems unavailable for long periods of time. Backup media also tended to be unreliable, so data loss was common.
Natural disasters such as fire, lightning, and hurricanes and man made disasters such as civil unrest, computer hacker attacks, and terrorist attacks can also affect computer networks and increase the need for data to be stored remotely. Remote storage at distances from a few miles to thousands of miles is often required to overcome most disaster scenarios.
The need to reduce data loss, application down time, and data recovery has driven the computer industry to develop more reliable backup systems and data transmission methods. These methods vary from traditional tape backup systems to storage area networks that have the ability to continuously back up data as it is being written by an application. Back up locations range from the site where the application resides to thousands of miles away. Storage systems have evolved to be double redundant, triple redundant, or even more to ensure that any data loss is not permanent.
Storage systems have increased in speed for storage devices as well as data transmission methods. Data channels such as optical fiber have greatly increased speed, distance, and quantity of data transmitted. Storage systems have developed into storage area networks, network accessed storage, internet accessed storage, and storage service providers. Computer system architectures have changed and may include local area networks, wide area networks, internet accessed networks, storage area networks, and an infinite number of combinations of various networks.
Every day a greater number of companies become reliant on highly evolved computer systems spread over greater distances. Companies continue to require data systems that are available continuously, highly reliable, and are safe from any form of disaster. Creating increasingly complex, reliable, user-friendly systems puts a great strain on company budgets and information technology (IT) resources. IT personnel must be knowledgeable in an ever-increasing number of specialized systems. Creation of reliable data backup systems is no exception.
Once a computer network that includes one or more applications, storage for the application data, and a means to back up the data from the application is established, IT personnel must choose from several copy functions for use in copying data from application storage devices to secondary storage devices. Each copy function has unique characteristics that must be thoroughly understood in order for the person setting up the system to choose the best copy function for the application.
Once a copy function is chosen, the copy function must be manually configured in the computer system. Knowledge of all the attributes needed for the copy function set-up is essential.
Once a copy function is configured, if system needs change such that another copy function would be more efficient, IT personnel must recognize the system change, manually choose another copy function, and manually change all of the copy function parameter attributes. Manual selection of a copy function requires specialized knowledge, IT personnel time, and company resources. Unless system needs are continually monitored, the computer system may be using an inefficient copy function.
What is needed is a method, apparatus, and system that automatically select a copy function. Beneficially, such a method, apparatus, and system would reduce costs by reducing time spent by IT personnel to constantly monitor and manually change copy functions. Under such a method, apparatus, and system, IT personnel would no longer have to spend time being trained on each available copy function and associated parameter attributes. Since selection of a copy function would be automatic, a new copy function would be selected quickly and the computer system would run more efficiently.